Last season: Mount Carmel defeated Glenbard North 28-14 for the title.

Most 8A titles: Maine South (3)

Favorite: Bolingbrook. The Raiders are the only undefeated team in the class and they may also possess the most overall speed.

Dark horse: Stevenson. The Patriots won their final seven regular-season games and delivered a statement Friday night by rallying from a 17-point deficit to defeat Lake Zurich 24-17.

Best first-round game: Simeon vs. Lyons. Both teams recovered from slow starts and are playing their best football at the right time. After falling to Homewood-Flossmoor, Novi Catholic (Mich.) and Crete-Monee to start the season, Simeon outscored its six Public League opponents 284-19. Lyons has made a habit of overcoming rough starts to advance to the Class 8A quarterfinals.

Toughest road to DeKalb: Oak Park. The Huskies are as good as they've been in a long time, but they'll likely have to beat Maine South and Loyola just to reach the semifinals. If they get there, Glenbard North could stand between them and the state finals.

Don't forget about: Glenbard North, last year's runner-up, and Loyola probably deserve to be favored as much as Bolingbrook. North is better this year because All-State running back Justin Jackson became stronger and tougher to take down. Loyola was ranked No. 1 before falling to St. Rita on Friday night.

FYI: Based on opponents' wins, which are used to determine tiebreakers for seeding and qualification, Simeon played the toughest schedule in the class. The Wolverines haven't lost to a Public League team since 2009.